(Left) August Shitama presents to an audience about his passion for reading. (Center) Library employee feels carving of Dr. Hayden’s name in the Jefferson Building. (Right) Gallaudet University President Roberta Cordano presents about past and current achievements in the deaf community. Photography by Shawn Miller & Travis Painter, Library of Congress, 2017
The Library of Congress is committed to being a leader and a
role model of accessibility. We strive to make every visitor
feel comfortable by ensuring your visit is as easy as possible
and free of barriers. Here at the Library, we recognize and
appreciate the diversity of the general public. For this reason,
we offer several programs and multiple options of ways to
access our incredible collections.
Accessibility at the Library of Congress
National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled
The updated and expanded website of the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) helps the
organization fulfill its mission of providing free braille and
talking book library service for people with temporary or
permanent low vision, blindness, or a physical disability
that prevents reading or holding the printed page.
The BARD Mobile app is a service of the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) at the Library
of Congress that provides access to braille and talking books
directly from the NLS Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD).
The Library of Congress launched a new way for visitors with visual impairments to experience the Thomas Jefferson Building. Touch History is an accessible tour that brings building details to life for visitors through their sense of touch. Find out more about Touch Tours
Interpreting Services Program
The Interpreting Services Program (ISP) is housed within the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity. The ISP provides support operations that enable the Library to fulfill its mission of providing accessibility for deaf staff, patrons and visitors. The ISP is also available to assist managers, supervisors and employees with reasonable accommodations to work with their Deaf/hard of hearing employees. In addition, the ISP coordinates captioning services for live/broadcasted events, and ensures major film screenings will be captioned for universal access.
ADA Coordinator
Katherine Noethe
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Coordinator
Library of Congress
101 Independence Ave., SE
Washington, D.C. 20540
phone: (202) 707-6362
email: ada@loc.gov
